Syria Media Roundup (March 23)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]

Syria`s next generation Syria’s children have taken the hardest hit during throughout the conflict, and sadly the traumatic events will forever scar Syria’s future. A group of young Syrians try to pass on hope to the country’s next generation of leaders.

Syria`s Piano Man Sings The Stories Of The War Charlotte Alfred shares the story of Ayham Ahmad who plays piano and sings the stories of Syria’s war and struggles amid the ruins of his hometown, the Yarmouk Camp on the outskirts of Damascus.

ISIS Syria-Iraq supply lines smashed: coalition According to this news article, US-led coalition forces fighting ISIS "have cut critical communication and supply lines used by the extremists between Syria and Iraq after a two-week operation."

Regional and International Perspectives

What Did Kerry Really Say About Assad? US Secretary of State John Kerry claims that Assad is part of the problem and cannot be negotiated with. However, Kerry then claims that negotiations are inevitable.

What`s distracting us from the Syrian conflict? Omar Imady writes about major events, such as ISIL, effectively distracted "all the major players, and observers from the daily killing, imprisonment, torture, homelessness and psychological trauma of the new generation of Syrians in refugee camps."

Islamism in the IS age Marc Lynch writes about challenges that confront the academics who study Islamic State.

How many more? CPJ remembers journalists killed covering Syria After four years of the start of the Syrian uprising "at least 81 journalists have been killed covering the unrest, making it the second deadliest conflict for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began keeping comprehensive records in 1992."

Turkish FM: `What is there to negotiate with Assad?` “Turkey`s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu criticised US Secretary of State John Kerry`s remarks on the possibility of negotiating with Syrian regime President Bashar Al-Assad to arrange a transition of power.”

Local ceasefires could be a path to peace in Syria Oxfam highlights Syrian civil society leader and astrophysicist Rim Turkmani’s efforts in exploring how local ceasefires, even in one area at a time, can offer a glimmer of hope for the peace process in Syria.

The Hefty Price of Action and Inaction in Syria According to Lina Khatib, “looking at Syria four years into the conflict, it becomes clear that a variety of stakeholders have been repeating past mistakes, with devastating consequences.”

Graphic: Syria After Four Years of Mayhem"A four-year conflict has dismembered Syria, inflaming the region with one of the world’s worst religious and sectarian wars. Most of its major cities are in shambles, and more than 200,000 people have been killed. Nearly half of Syria’s residents have been forced to flee their homes. "

إنفوغرافيك: هل ندم السوريون على الثورة؟On the fourth anniversary of the Syrian uprising, with a sample of five hundred Syrians, Hassan Arfa provides an infographic asking participants if they regret having a revolution in their county or not?

Arabic Links:

سنة خامسة ثورة.. البحث عن أفق جديد Mohammad Dibo writes about the necessity of ending the Syrian war, and how a military solution without politics hinders the objectives of the Syrian revolution.